Wood Inspiration: Restored Historic Home by Robert M. Gurney Architect

The 308 Mulberry residence is a late nineteenth-century historic house, located in the small town of Lewes, Delaware. The picturesque view of it was shadowed by the normal deteriorations that occur over time. The house required an upgrade and the exterior needed to be restored to its original condition. Robert M. Gurney, the architect responsible with the project, talks about the general context: “Lewes is composed primarily of late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century building stock. The dominant building type is timber and the prevalent construction type is balloon framing. The starting point for this project is one such small house located at 308 Mulberry Street, originally constructed in the early nineteenth-century in the heart of the historical district.”

The upgrade implied also a series of new additions. To be more specific, four new structures had to engage wonderfully with the existent historical home. The client also requested a modern swimming pool and a lounge area. Despite its historic exterior, the interior looks neat, modern and crisp. The additional pavilions, built around the swimming pool, are envisioned as relaxations spots (one even contains a fireplace allowing the space to be used late into the fall).